


Freeing the Demon

by ProdigyBlood



Series: BillDip Blood Bond [1]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Bill Cipher/Dipper Pines Fluff, Bill trapped in Stan’s mind, Coming Out, Denial of Feelings, Dipper being clueless, Human Bill Cipher, M/M, Mabel being wise, Older Dipper Pines, Protective Bill Cipher, Romance, bill being bill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2019-06-27 20:41:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15693006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProdigyBlood/pseuds/ProdigyBlood
Summary: Dipper and Mabel Pines return to Gravity Falls in their gap year but as soon as he returns, Dipper struggles to rid his mind of a certain yellow demon. When he discovers that said yellow demon is trapped in his Grunkle Stan's mind, he decides to free him. Mistake or start of great new love story...? Dipper's not so sure.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A lovely friend of mine requested a Bill fic, and I've been meaning to write something Gravity Falls related for ages anyway so... This is for you, wifeman <3
> 
> So for this I went with the theory (which, come on, seems like the direction Alex was going anyway) that Bill is, and always has been, trapped in Stan's mind.
> 
> This fic could probably do with another round of editing but what are you gonna do... Haha

_We’ll meet again, don’t know where, don’t know when but I know we’ll meet again some sunny day…_

Dipper Pines woke with a start, the eerie song still ringing in his head and the familiar voice sending shivers down his spine. Taking several deep breaths, he focused his gaze to the ceiling and tried to shake off the dream and the peculiar feeling it had roused within him. 

_Bill Cipher._ That was a name he hadn’t thought of in some time. Bill Cipher, the triangular demon who’d been his childhood tormentor, had been dead for six years, erased from existence in Grunkle Stan’s mind. It had just been a dream, probably spurred on by the fact that Mabel and he were moving to Gravity Falls that morning to help out Stan and Ford at the Mystery Shack; both whom had finally packed in the life of adventure after, reluctantly, admitting they were getting too old for it. 

It would be weird to return to that town. After that first trip, the Pines twins had visited another two times but, by sixteen, they’d had friends and parties and, in Dipper’s case, extra curriculum activities to occupy their summers. Beside’s, it had meant that Stan and Ford hadn’t needed to drag themselves away from their adventures to return to the small town every summer. Instead, they had popped down to California for a few days to visit the twins and their parents. 

It was still dark but, when Dipper closed his eyes he was only met with flashes of a certain one-eyed, yellow triangle. It almost felt as if Bill was calling out to him. Dipper shook the thought away and, with a sigh, threw the covers off his lanky body. He spent a moment staring at his feet and the hairs that poked out from his big toes and wondered whether that was the start of the hairy Pines’ gene. His chest was still pretty smooth, something he’d grown to accept and, perhaps, even prefer over the years. He’d come a long way in accepting his masculinity from that insecure twelve-year-old boy who’d taken stupid advice from Manotaurs. His last girlfriend had liked his chest despite its distinct lack of hair and, unfortunately, abs. ‘You’re a good looking guy,’ she’d told him. He hoped it was true because them not working out had obviously turned out to be fate: Wendy Corduroy, his childhood crush, had apparently recently returned to Gravity Falls herself. Maybe, now that he was no longer a short, nerdy twelve-year-old, Dipper actually stood a chance. He’d recently stalked her social media and she was still as gorgeous as ever. Also single. 

He closed his eyes again, wanting to visualise her face. Instead it was that damn triangle he saw. What was up with that?! Opening his eyes, he sat up and draped his legs over the side of the bed. Enough of this. Maybe a cold shower would clear his head?

A cold shower and a Bill Cipher free mind later, Dipper found himself trying to rouse Mabel. His twin was still dead to the world and, in that state, always particularly violent. Worried he might have a black eye, he finally gave up on tact and just grabbed her foot, yanking her from the bed. She landed on the floor with a heavy ‘oof’ and sat dazed for a few moments. 

“What the hey hey, bro-bro?!”

“It’s moving day, remember?” That livened her up. Like a ventriloquist was pulling her strings, she was suddenly on her feet, large beam across her face. 

“Moving day?! Oh but Dipper, this is wonderful! Where’s Waddles?! Have you finished packing? D’you think mom will make us pancakes?!” 

“That awful pig is probably outside, yes I have – have you?! – and I sure hope so,” he answered her flurry of questions. Their mother was still mad at them for deciding to hold off college for a couple of years, though, so the latter was doubtful. 

“Don’t call Waddles awful,” she scolded. She would say that – the damn pig hadn’t eaten her breakfast before she could get to it for the last week straight, after all. If their mom _did_ make pancakes and Waddles beat him to them again then Dipper would be furious. He didn’t say anything, though. Mabel could be pretty hot headed when she wanted to be. It was too early to get into an argument. 

As it turned out, their mom _did_ makes pancakes and both Dipper and Waddles got their fair share before it was time to jump into the pre-loaded car and make their way back to Gravity Falls, Oregon. 

“Bro-bro, as it’s such a _loooong,_ boring drive I’ve made us a special playlist! You’ll _love_ it!” Mabel declared as they climbed into the car. Dipper sighed. It was going to be a long five hours until they switched and he could finally tune her out and sleep… 

 

The old Mystery Shack looked just as Dipper remembered it. Even the neon ‘S’ that had always refused to stay put, as if it was warning patrons of the buildings true identity, was absent from the roof that declared the building: 

_Mystery Hack_. That was about right. Dipper smiled fondly. 

“Grunkle Stan! Grunkle Ford!” Mabel was out of the car and flying towards the front door as it opened and two familiar men stepped out onto the porch. 

“Pumpkin!” Stan held out his arms, smiling as the overly enthusiastic brunette collided with him, almost sending him sprawling. Dipper joined them as Stan was righting himself, giving Ford a hug first before moving on to his other great uncle. It had been six years since Dipper had last stood in front of the older Pines twins in Gravity Falls and, while Ford had definitely aged in those six years, Stan looked the same as ever. It made Dipper feel twelve again. 

With pleasantries exchanged (‘is that _Waddles?!_ That pig is still _alive_?!’) the four of them entered the house via the gift shop only to be greeted with another blast from the past. 

“Soos?! You still work here?” Soos had temporarily taken over the Mystery shack with his girlfriend, Melody, while Stan and Ford were away having adventures. The two men had been back for a year now, though, and had reclaimed ownership. Dipper had simply assumed Soos would have moved on rather than step back into his old role as maintenance man. 

“Oh hey dudes!” In the four years since they’d seen him last, Soos had lost some weight but, otherwise, looked much the same. Dressed in his old question mark employee t-shirt, it was almost as if the past six years hadn’t happened. For what it was worth, Soos looked as happy as ever and –

“Is that a wedding band I spy?!” Mabel was on him like a rash. 

“Haha, yeah,” the older man said awkwardly. “Me an’ Melody finally got hitched last year. Sorry we didn’t invite you but it was a quiet lil’ do and all.” 

“Oh but that’s _wonderful_! Congrats, Soos!” Mabel really was a hugger; Dipper wasn’t sure he’d really noticed before today. As they’d grown older they’d, not grown apart as such, but had certainly sought independence from one another, becoming their own people away from each other. Mabel was popular and bubbly (if not a little… okay, a _lot_ , eccentric) while Dipper was reserved and nerdy. Being obsessed with the mysteries of the world had proven a sure way to remain ostracised from the ‘cool kids’. For the most part Dipper hadn’t minded. It was Mabel slipping further and further away that had been the most painful. Perhaps, now back in Gravity Falls and away from all their friends, they could reclaim the bond they’d shared as kids. 

They spent the next few hours catching up and unpacking. It was weird to be back in the attic and, even weirder, to be back to sharing a room with Mabel but, until they could sort out other arrangements, it was a price they had both agreed they were happy to pay. Gravity Falls, after all, was a special place for both of them. They had gone through a lot together in the small town; you don’t just forget and move on from the kind of ordeals they’d dealt with.

When Dipper finally got some time alone, he found himself in the forest, his pine tree cap on his head for old time sakes, his feet leading the way without his brain having any input. It didn’t take him long to realise where they were taking him. 

The statue. Petrified Bill. 

He wasn’t in good condition, cracks and moss covering him. Bill Cipher had been forgotten about. It was probably for the best, of course, but Dipper couldn’t help but think there was something oddly sad about it. Bill had been a vibrant presence. Maybe not one of good – not even remotely – but he’d been a presence none the less and just to have been completely forgotten… 

Dipper shook his head, throwing the thought away. Bill deserved no less. He’d made their lives hell. He’d tried to take over the entire world. 

He tilted his head, still staring at the statue. He didn’t know why he was here, he didn’t know what had drawn him to this place. Despite this, for some reason unknown to Dipper, he couldn’t bring himself to leave. He sat, instead, legs crossed, facing Bill. 

“So. Long time no see.”

There was no reply. Of course there wasn’t. He was basically talking to a gravestone. 

“I’m back in Gravity Falls for the foreseeable future. I wonder if it’ll be quite without you? Probably not, this _is_ Gravity Falls after all. Plenty of mythological creatures to keep me busy.”

He stared at Bill. This was stupid. He felt silly. He stood again and turned to leave, pausing before he’d taken more than two steps and turning around again. He took the cap off his head, hesitated, and then approached the statue of the dream demon. He never wore the thing anymore. It was tatty and barely fit. He wasn’t sure why he hadn’t thrown it away years ago though he strongly suspected it was because Wendy had held onto it for an entire year before returning it with some half arsed excuse that it suited him better. (Dipper suspected that it had been her way of telling him it was never going to happen.) He hadn’t been sure why he’d brought it to Gravity Falls. He hadn’t even been sure why he’d picked it up before he left the shack. 

Now he knew.

“I’ve brought something for you,” he said and placed the cap atop of Bill’s top hat. Then he turned and walked away.

 

Dipper didn’t sleep well that night. He tossed and turned, caught between bad dreams that spiralled through his mind like a reel of nonsensical flashes: Images he couldn’t comprehend. Words that made no sense. Memories he couldn’t differentiate between real and fictitious, conjured up by his over tired brain.

_eerT eniP uoy rof kcab gnimoc m’I_

He woke with a start, bathed in sweat and feeling more exhausted than he had when he’d gone to bed. To his left he could see Mabel sound asleep in the dull light. He debated waking her but already the last dregs of his dreams were fading, leaving him unsure whether he’d even dreamed at all. 

He stared at the ceiling for a long time before it became apparent that he wouldn’t be getting any more sleep. Sighing, he climbed from bed and padded down the stairs. 

He didn’t expect anyone to be up but there was a light on in the kitchen. He followed it, finding Stan leaning against the counter top. 

“Finally awake then?” 

“Finally?” He arched an eyebrow. “Grunkle Stan what are you doing up?” 

“Oh, Pine Tree…” Dipper felt his blood grow cold. Only one person had ever called him Pine Tree and it wasn’t Stan. He took a step back. It couldn’t be. It wasn’t possible. “I’m trapped, Pine Tree.” Grunkle Stan’s hand reached out and Dipper took another stumbling step back. Stan’s hand froze, then withdrew. He turned his back for a moment and, when he turned back, he was holding something. 

“Where did you get that?” Dipper asked quietly, though, of course, there was only one place he could have gotten it from. 

“Free me,” Stan – it had to be a cruel joke, right? – said, holding out Dipper’s cap. “Free me, Pine Tree.” His eyes turned yellow, his pupils stretching to that of a cats and then –

Dipper woke with a start, panting heavily. 

“You alright, bro?” Mabel was lying in her own bed, facing him, concern written across her face. 

Dipper shivered and didn’t answer. It had just been a dream… right? 

His eyes fell on the cap with the familiar pine tree faded across the front sitting at the foot of his bed. In that moment, although he didn’t understand how, he _knew_ that Bill Cipher was alive and coming for him.


	2. Chapter 2

Dipper spent the next two days pouring through his journal, a weak imitation of the originals (that he was now seriously regretting throwing into the bottomless pit at the end of _that_ summer.) in hopes that he might have previously written something relevant. Of course there was nothing. He knew there was nothing. And yet, he still searched again and again, spending a ridiculously long time on the Bill Cipher section each time, as if something new might appear if he looked for long enough.

He asked Stan about their little kitchen meet multiple times but the old man denied it having happened and, eventually, got so annoyed with Dipper that he snapped and stormed away, grumbling under his breath. 

“It was just a dream, Dipper,” Mabel told him. “Come out with us!” She was going to the diner with Grenda and Wendy (Candy had left Gravity Falls for college) and had been trying to talk Dipper into joining her for the past hour. “I thought you were excited to see Wendy again.”

“I am.” And he really had been. But now he couldn’t get Bill from his mind and this mystery took precedence over catching up with an old crush. Besides, he would have plenty of time to catch up with Wendy when he figured out how to stop Bill Cipher from returning and destroying the world. 

“You know, just because she rejected you at fourteen it doesn’t mean she’d do it again now. You’ve come a long way since then bro-bro. You’re a pretty handsome dude, you just need confidence.” 

“I was fifteen, and you promised never to bring that up again.” He glowered. The last time they’d visited gravity Falls, the day after their fifteenth birthday, Dipper had asked Wendy out. For her credit, she hadn’t laughed. Instead she’d called him a ‘pretty great dude’ and said something along the lines of ‘I really should date you instead of morons.’ She had continued to date morons, of course. If Mabel was to be believed, the latest in a long list was the reason she’d retuned to Gravity Falls, to get away from all men. ‘Not _you_ , of course, bro.’

Mabel waved a hand. “Fourteen, fifteen, what’s the difference? You’re an adult now, Dip. We’ll be twenty in a few months.”

“Mabel, I really do have things I want to get done.” 

“Bill Cipher is dead, Dipper,” Mabel said. “You’re still alive so you should really _live_.” She left it at that, giving him a sad smile and then leaving the shack. For a brief moment, Dipper contemplated chasing after her. He wondered how the evening would go, whether he was finally charming enough to get the dream girl. 

He brushed the thought away and stood. If Mabel and Stan wouldn’t take him seriously then he knew someone who would. 

Dipper finally found him in the basement. “Grunkle Ford, there you are!”

“Ah, Dipper! I wondered when you would come to see me.”

“You were expecting me?”

“You’ve been pouring over your journal and annoying your sister and Stan with questions about Bill Cipher. I was the next logical step. To be honest, I’m surprised you didn’t come to me first.”

“Fair,” Dipper said, sitting down. It wasn’t that the pair of them hadn’t spent time together since Dipper’s return, but their conversations had been catch ups, each time with other people around. Most of the last two days, Ford had been awol and Dipper had been so absorbed in this new, worrying mystery that he hadn’t even thought to come to his Grunkle sooner. 

“So you’re worried Bill is trying to return?” Ford swivelled round in his chair to face him. 

“It’s stupid…” He’d been certain but, now faced with _the author_ of all people, he suddenly felt unsure. 

“Dipper, it is anything but stupid.” 

“Wait, so you believe me?”

“I’ve suspected as much for the last couple of years.” Dipper felt excitement well up inside him. If Ford suspected it then it was likely true. “But Dipper, you must listen,” he continued sombrely. “If I’m right – and I think I might be – this is dangerous territory. You need to tread carefully and keep it quiet.”

“Of course.” Dipper was nodding enthusiastically. He’d often wondered what his life would have been if he’d stayed with Ford at the age of twelve and become his apprentice. Perhaps now he could have that life, seeing as he’d decided against his previous dreams. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to go to college, it was just that the call of Gravity Falls had been stronger than the call of a classroom to learn about things he could actually _experience_ here. “So what do we do?”

“In that lies the problem. I don’t know. He’s been contacting you? What did he say?”

Dipper thought back. “That he’s trapped,” he shrugged, “That’s about it.” 

“But _how_ did he communicate?”

“That was the weird bit. It’s like he’d possessed Grunkle Stan.”

“I knew it!” Ford was suddenly facing his desk again, bending over a notebook and scribbling furiously. Dipper peered over his shoulder, only understanding about half of the equations Ford was furiously working on. “I suspected, of course, but… How did he manage… I wonder…” 

Dipper waited patiently for his Grunkle to start making sense. For a short while it seemed as if the old man had forgotten Dipper was there. In fact, it was only when Dipper shifted in his seat, making it creak, that Ford turned back around, eyes wild. 

“He’s not possessing Stan, Dipper. He _is_ Stan!”

“Wait, what?!” 

“Well, more accurately, he’s trapped inside Stan’s mind. Stan sometimes acts a little bizarre at night. For a while I didn’t question it but, recently, he’s been even more active. I also found _this_ in the trash.” He pulled out a folded piece of paper from his pocket. It had obviously been screwed up and tossed away at some point but Ford had salvaged it. 

“Are you sure you didn’t write that and just… forget?” Dipper questioned as the old man unfolded the note to reveal more equations. 

“I may be getting on in years, Dipper, but I’m not senile. At least you agree that this is far out of Stan’s ability.” 

“Definitely.” Dipper nodded. He took the paper and peered at it himself. He was a smart guy, in top set for everything at school, but even he was struggling to comprehend the equations. Ford smiled and pushed forward his own notes, showing a mixture of similar and exactly matched equations. The only thing obviously different was the handwriting. Bill’s was neater, almost feminine with its sloped loops. 

Ford was looking eagerly at Dipper, as if expecting him to make sense of the writing. Perhaps, with time, he could figure it out but he wasn’t Ford; he couldn’t make sense of it without pulling all his brain muscles trying. When this apparently became obvious, Ford’s face fell a little. Feeling dejected, Dipper handed his great uncle back the piece of paper. 

“So Bill is in Stan’s mind?” Dipper asked, trying to brush past that uncomfortable moment. “How’d he do it?” 

“Stan told me he ‘spoke a lot of rubbish’ before being erased. I think he chanted a spell of some sorts, something that would save his life. I think it may have backfired a little, though. I don’t expect he meant to be trapped in Stan’s mind. I can’t imagine he likes it very much there.” Dipper couldn’t help but laugh. As much as he loved Stan, he wasn’t sure he’d want to be trapped in the man’s mind, either. 

“So how do we get him out?” It wasn’t that Dipper wanted Bill out in the world again, of course, but they couldn’t very well leave him in Stan’s mind. It was shocking enough that he hadn’t gotten the old man into a whole other world of trouble yet. _Give it time…_

“Well, from what I can gather… _You’re_ the key.”

 

Dipper laid awake staring at the ceiling. He had a lot to think about. Ford had called _him_ the key. The equations seemed to suggest it. The fact that Bill had been contacting him seemed to reaffirm it. Despite knowing this, they were still no closer to what Dipper actually had to _do_ to free the demon from his prison. It could be _anything._

What if he couldn’t figure it out? Or, even worse, he did but wasn’t able to do it for whatever reason? Perhaps lack of skill. The disappointment in Ford’s eyes earlier still stung. He wasn’t as clever as his great uncle and he never would be. 

He glanced over at Mabel’s empty bed. She was still out having fun with Wendy and Grenda. She’d told him not to wait up, wasn’t even sure she’d be back that night at all. _It must be nice,_ Dipper thought, _to be able to go out and have fun without worrying about demons and curses._

With a sigh he stood. It was late enough that Stan should be asleep. At the very least he could test the theory that, when Stan slept, Bill came out to play. As far as Dipper was concerned, witnessing it once didn’t prove a damn thing. Besides, if Bill was there and Dipper could speak to him maybe the demon could tell him what to do. 

He moved quietly through the house, the only sounds the creaks from the old floorboards. He peered around Stan’s bedroom door. The room was empty. He tried the kitchen next as that was the last place he’d seen him but that, too, was Stan-less. A quick search of the entire shack showed that only Ford and Waddles were inside, both asleep. 

Frowning, Dipper stepped outside and into the darkness of the chilly night. He looked left and right, seeing nothing. Eventually it occurred to him that there was only one place Stan/Bill could be. 

The path was almost too familiar despite the fact he had only walked it once in four years. Even in the dark Dipper had no problem navigating the forest path and, before he knew it, he was arriving at the familiar statue of the triangle demon that had haunted his nightmares as a kid. 

“Thought you might turn up, Dipping Sauce,” Bill said in Stan’s voice. 

“What are you doing here, Bill?”

“Visiting my own grave, what does it look like?” 

“But you’re not dead,” Dipper pointed out. 

“Semantics.” Bill brushed him off. Dipper noted that his eyes were yellow and cat like. It was _definitely_ Bill then, and not Stan playing some kind of twisted joke. 

“How do I free you?” Dipper asked. He couldn’t believe he was having this conversation. Freeing Bill Cipher? Ridiculous! 

“Well now, that’s easy, Pine Tree. Just a little blood should do it.” 

“Blood?” He shuddered at the thought. He wasn’t squeamish or anything but the idea of being tied to Bill by blood wasn’t exactly appealing. Still, he couldn’t leave the demon in his great uncles mind, that was just asking for trouble. 

“Not afraid of a little blood are ya, Dipping Sauce?” 

“No!” Dipper shot back. He patted his pockets. “I, uh, don’t have anything to cut with though.” 

“Here.” Bill removed a small dagger from Stan’s pocket and held it out in front of him. 

“I’m surprised you didn’t just summon one from thin air.”

“No powers where I’m trapped. Sheesh, way to make a demon feel inadequate.” 

Dipper opened his mouth to apologise and then closed it again and took the dagger. Why should he apologise to the demon who had made his childhood hell? 

Staring between his hand and the knife, Dipper carefully considered his next move. He had to get Bill out of Stan’s mind, there was no question about that. He would just have to deal with the consequences afterwards. He seemed to have Ford’s approval and that was good enough for him. Still, he couldn’t just inexplicably trust Bill.

“If I do this, what’s your plan?”

“Now that would be telling, Pine Tree.”

“I can’t just free you to start up Weirdmageddon again.”

“Oh that? _Pfft_!” Bill brushed him off. “That was yesterday’s news! Boring. Change the channel. Dig up your gold for the apocalypse is averted!” 

Dipper frowned, leaving deep creases in his forehead. Mabel had always warned him his frowning would lead to premature wrinkles. Could he really trust the word of Bill Cipher? Of course not, but he wasn’t sure he had much of a choice. 

He readied the dagger. 

In all the films he’d ever seen, it was the palm they sliced. Surely, though, that would hurt like a bitch afterwards. The palm was flesh that was used a lot. It was like getting a paper cut on a finger joint. Instead, he brought the dagger, an intricately jewelled little thing Dipper had never seen before, and, before he could change his mind, sliced it across his upper arm. Teeth gritted against the pain, Dipper watched the blood form, beading up in a trail behind the blade. 

“Trust you to rebel against the convention,” Bill grumbled. “Right. Hold your arm above statue me and let some blood drip on to it.” Dipper did as instructed. He watched as a large drop of blood splattered across Bill’s stone eye. Another followed, and then another, trailing down the statue like tears of blood. “That should be adequate, Pine Tree,” Bill said. “Now come here.”

Dipper looked up and into the demon’s yellow eyes. He tried not to focus on the fact that the rest of the body belonged to that of his Grunkle Stan. It was easier to think of him simply as Bill. “What? Why?” 

“Sheesh, so suspicious.” Dipper just glared at the demon and didn’t move. “I need to drink some of you blood is all.”

“Drink some of my blood?!” 

“That’s what I said. You got something wrong with your ears, kid? I can fix that for ya when I’m back in my body if you want. Make ‘em more like these, maybe?” He flicked Stan’s large ears and cackled. 

“Why’d you need to drink my blood?” Dipper asked, still not moving closer. Blood was dripping down his arm in trails now, plastering the grass at his feet. 

“Just how this works, Pine Tree. Rather I stay in Fez’s head?” 

Dipper was starting to wonder if that might be better. Apparently, he was unable to perform magic right now, and he could only control Stan while the old man slept.

“I know what you’re thinking, kid. I can make Stan’s life a living hell if I need to.” 

Dipper sighed. “Okay,” he said, resigned. His feet dragged as he walked over to the body of his great uncle and, once in reach, he shoved out his still bleeding arm without a word. “Do what you must.” 

He averted his eyes as Stan/Bill smiled maniacally and brought his lips to his arm. If it wasn’t for the fact that it was the body of his going-on-seventy-year-old great uncle, the act would have almost been sensual. As it were, Dipper just shuddered and kept his eyes firmly on the grass until the lips vanished from his flesh. 

There was a grunting noise and then a loud thump. Dipper spun around, eyes widening but, before he could rush over to Stan’s fallen body, something else caught his attention. 

The statue of Bill Cipher was cracking, bits of stone simply crumbling away. Beneath the stone, Dipper could see a familiar yellow. He watched, fascinated, as the remaining stone crumbled away and Bill Cipher hovered up into the air, stretching his arms out. 

“It is goooooooood to be back and out of that decrepit flash-bag!”


	3. Chapter 3

“Are you okay, Grunkle Stan?” Mabel asked, tilting her head at the man who sat in his armchair in his vest and underwear looking worse for wear.

“Huh? Oh, just a headache, pumpkin.” 

From his spot at the other side of the room, Dipper scrutinised Stan. Bill had warped him home after being freed and it seemed the old man had suffered no major ill effects from his experience, nor did he seem to recall any of it. It was probably for the best. 

As for Bill, Dipper hadn’t seen him since. He wondered whether he would again and he wondered whether he cared either way. 

“Hey bro-bro, what’d you do to your arm?” Mabel had moved her attention to him, suddenly appearing at his side and peering at the long scab that decorated his left arm. 

“Caught it,” he said, shrugging nonchalantly. He wasn’t sure why he wasn’t admitting the truth about what he’d done the previous night but, while he was able to keep it secret, it seemed like the best cause of action. He doubted Mabel would approve. 

His twin frowned suspiciously, taking his arm to examine the wound. “Does it hurt?” She poked it.

“ _Ow!_ It does when you poke it!” 

Mabel chuckled and walked away, humming to herself. She was in an exceptionally good mood and, from what Dipper had concluded, it had something to do with a ‘hot guy’ she had met the night before. At least, with his boy crazy sister otherwise occupied, he could hopefully keep Bill and his return a secret for at least a little while –

There was a knock on the door. 

“I’ll get it!” Mabel yelled excitedly. Curious, Dipper followed her, wanting to catch a look at her mystery guy and make sure he was good enough for his twin. 

Mabel ripped open the door just as Dipper rounded the corner. Standing in the doorway was indeed a ‘hot guy’, lean and tall with tanned skin and hair a blond that was almost yellow on top and black underneath. He was dressed impeccably in a yellow tailcoat jacket and a black bow tie. If that wasn’t enough to make Dipper suspicious, his yellow cat-like eyes definitely were. 

“Who are you?” Mabel asked in a flirty voice, clearly liking what she was seeing. Something turned in Dippers stomach but he ignored it. At least Bill wasn’t Mabel’s mystery man then. That was something. 

“You don’t recognise me, Shooting Star?” 

Before Mabel could even open her mouth, Dipper pushed her aside, grabbed Bill’s arm and slammed the door between them and his sister shut. He dragged the apparently human demon towards the forest as extra precaution. 

“What are you doing?” he hissed between gritted teeth. 

Bill leaned on his cane and smiled charmingly. “Thanking you for freeing me, Pine Tree, what else?”

“Whose body is that? Release them now!”

“Relax, kid. It’s my body. Do you like it? Who am I kidding, of _course_ you do!” 

“Your body?” Dipper repeated blankly. Could Bill do that? Why would he even want to? Didn’t he hate human bodies and their ‘weaknesses’? 

Bill clapped patronisingly. “Very good, Pine Tree. Next we’ll move on to double digits.” 

“Shut up,” he hissed, narrowing his eyes. “Why are you in a humanoid body?”

“Got used to it, didn’t I? Was in Stan for going on seventy years after all – ”

“Wait, what?!” No, that wasn’t right. It _couldn’t_ be. Bill had ended up in Stan’s body after being petrified. It didn’t make any sense for him to have been in it any longer. That would mean that Bill was in Stan during the entire time that his physical triangular body was tormenting them. That _had_ to be some kind of time paradox –

“Don’t over think it, kid.” In his current humanoid form, Bill didn’t look more than a couple of years older than Dipper which just made it doubly annoying to be constantly referred to as ‘kid’. 

“But – ” Dipper still couldn’t wrap his head around it. Could Bill have really been Stan the entire time? It would certainly explain a few odd things. And then there was Mabel and his encounter with the Axolotl that he’d never been able to make sense of. He remembered the words it spoke as clearly as if it had been yesterday…

_A different form, a different time._

“You’re over thinking it,” Bill sang. “Look, point being, I am now free and Stan can go about his business none the wiser.”

“Right, well.” Dipper shifted his weight between his feet. Instead of feeling afraid or angry, as he’d always thought he might if ever faced with Bill Cipher again, Dipper just felt awkward. He wondered why that was. Obviously, his ridiculously handsome face wasn’t helping matters but it wasn’t like Dipper was attracted to the demon so it had to be something else. _Anything_ else. “So what now? You gonna try and take over the world again?”

“Hm.” Bill’s eyes glistened and he playfully tapped his chin. “I think I’ve got _other_ things I’d rather conquer.” Dipper gulped. He didn’t like the way that Bill was looking at him. It was almost like a predator sizing up its prey. It did funny things to his stomach. 

“Uh, well, good luck with that,” Dipper said quickly, taking a step backwards. “I’d better get going. Things to do, y’know…” He took another couple of steps back, his foot catching an unearthed root and sending him stumbling backwards. He landed in an awkward heap on his arse. 

Bill laughed. “You’re quite cute for a flesh-bag, did you know that, Dipping Sauce?”

“Hey! Leave my brother alone!” Dipper didn’t know how long she’d been there but suddenly Mabel was bursting out from behind a tree. 

For a moment that you could blink and miss, Bill’s eyes flashed red in annoyance but then he smiled and bowed. “As you wish,” he said. “I’ll be seeing you later.” With that he vanished into thin air. Dipper stared at the spot he’d been standing, only breaking contact when Mabel grabbed his arm to help him up.

“ _What_ did you do, bro-bro?” 

 

Mabel hadn’t stopped her disapproving stare since Dipper had confessed releasing Bill. It was starting to make him feel a little nervous. 

“…Why’s he so hot, though?” she asked finally. 

“Um, is he?” Was it suddenly warm in here? Dipper felt warm. 

“God, Dipper, you’re so clueless.” There was a short silence. “He called you cute.”

“Um, yeah? That was weird…” 

“Are you _blushing_?” Mabel leaned in closer, her frown turning into a smile. “Do you _like_ him?”

“Jesus, no! Don’t be stupid, Mabel!” he shot back, quick as a flash. Mabel’s smile grew. 

“Oh, you do! It’s about time, bro-bro! It was getting a little weird, to be honest. I wasn’t sure if you were holding out for Wendy, or – ” Dipper clamped a hand over his sister’s mouth to stop her talking. He and Mabel talked about a lot of things but their love and sex lives were off limits. Not that that stopped Mabel gushing about her latest guy or sobbing to Dipper over her newest heartbreak but, at least, it gave Dipper an excuse not to share. Apparently, though, Mabel had figured out that the main reason this was such a good thing for Dipper was because he had nothing to share. He’d kissed a few different girls, had had two short term girlfriends, but that was about the extent of it. His love life was pretty inexistent. Even his last girlfriend, the one who’d liked his chest, hadn’t gotten past second base. 

“Bill tried to kill us!”

“So?” Apparently his sister had forgiven the demon for all his past sins in the hopes that her brother could get laid. _Great._

“You really think he won’t try to do it again?”

“You could at least give him a chance.”

“Are you really that desperate for me to go on a date?” 

“ _Yes_!” 

“ _Fine!_ I’ll go on a date then,” he said. Frowning as he realised his twins eyes practically had stars in them, he added, “But not with Bill!” Mabel’s face fell a little. 

Dipper had never understood Mabel and her forgiving nature. There were some people who were entirely undeserving of forgiveness and Bill was one of them. 

“So, who’re you gonna ask out? _Wendy_?” Dipper didn’t like the way she asked that, as if she didn’t believe he would for even a moment. 

“I just might,” he snapped, pulling out his cell and purposely holding it in a position where Mabel could see he was typing. 

_Hey Wendy! Guess you know by now that I’m back in town. We should catch up. Wanna go to Greasy’s some time? Would be cool to see you_

_It’s Dipper Pines by the way!_

Mabel wrestled his cell from him and laughed aloud at the two texts he’d sent off. “You’re so hopeless,” she said. “At least it’s a start. OH! She text back! Nice and quick, that’s promising.” 

“Give it!” Mabel planted one hand on Dipper’s face, holding him back and held the phone up with her other, laughing hysterically all the while. 

“Oooooh, she said yeeees~!” Mabel said gleefully.

Dipper stopped struggling, honestly dumbfounded. “She did?” 

“Well, I mean, you didn’t mention the word ‘date’ so maybe she thinks it’s a a group thing? Hang on -” Dipper started struggling again as he realised Mabel was typing. He managed to break free from her hand and dived at her, pining her down and knocking his cell from her hand. 

“Don’t you _even_ dare,” he growled. 

“I was only gonna send like twenty pig emojis,” she said innocently. Dipper snatched up his phone to see that – thankfully – that had been what she was in the process of texting. At least if she’d managed to send it, Wendy would have known for certain that it had originated from the sillier of the twins. 

 

They arranged to meet at noon the next day. Dipper arrived twenty minutes early, showered and sprayed with enough deodorant to make sure Wendy noted that he was no longer the sweaty little boy she had once known. 

“Hey dude,” she greeted, as cool as he remembered, when she arrived ten minutes late. “Hope you’ve not been waiting long.”

Wendy had always been the cool girl, pretty in a natural way and effortlessly awesome. Despite being in her early twenties that didn’t seem to have changed. Her red hair was shorter, just brushing her shoulders and she no longer wore a hat on top of it, but otherwise she seemed almost unchanged. In skinny jeans and a green plaid shirt, Dipper could almost pretend that no time had passed. 

Unfortunately, his brain and heart couldn’t do the same. She was gorgeous, funny and way too cool for a nerd like him and yet he felt… _nothing_. That didn’t stop him having a great time, of course, but it made him realise that this long flame he thought he’d been holding had fizzled out some time long ago without him even noticing. In fact, when he stopped to think about it, he hadn’t thought about Wendy for at least a couple of years. She had only popped back into his brain after they had decided to move to Gravity Falls and Mabel had oh-so-causally mentioned she was also back and single. 

When they said goodbye, Dipper stayed in their booth, nursing a coffee and trying to figure out what the hell was wrong with him. Fifteen-year-old him would be kicking him about now. Hell, twelve-year-old him would have beaten the crap out of him. He’d been on a date with Wendy – a date that had gone well no less! – and instead of walking her home, wanting to stay by her side as long as possible, he’d given her a hug and smiled when she’d said ‘catch you later’. Was he broken? 

“You stare into that coffee any harder an’ you’ll fall in, Pine Tree.” Dipper startled, slopping coffee over the table. Bill Cipher was sitting opposite him, leaning casually on the table as if he’d been there a while. 

“What?! When did you get here?” 

“Relax, kid. I only just sat down. Say, how’d your date go? Should I be jealous?” Dipped flushed at the question, stuttering a bunch of nonsense, unable to string a proper sentence together. Bill laughed. “I’m joking! Joking! …If it had gone well you wouldn’t be sitting here looking like you want to drown yourself in coffee. I can help you out if you want? Shrink you down to size?” 

Finding composure, Dipper levelled his gaze to Bill, bringing his eyebrows together in a hard stare. “What are you doing here, Bill?”

“Can’t a demon get pancakes?” He raised a black gloved hand and clicked his fingers together and a moment later the waitress – not Lazy Susan; Dipper guessed she must have retired by now – placed a large stack of maple drowned pancakes in front of them. 

“You didn’t come here for pancakes.”

“You’re right.” He clicked his fingers and the pancakes started singing. Dipper didn’t recognise the song but it was surprisingly catchy, if not a little… bizarre. “I came here to see whether I had to disembowel Wendy Corduroy.”

“What?!” Dipper stood abruptly. 

“Oh chill out, Dipping Sauce. I came to the conclusion it wasn’t necessary. You’re about as interested in her as I am in eating these pancakes. Now sit down.” Dipper automatically sat down and then internally shouted at himself for doing so. He didn’t understand this hold Bill seemed to have over him and he really, _really_ didn’t like it. “It’s funny how dumb you are. Cute.”

Dipper just glared. He was starting to wonder whether it had been a bad idea returning to Gravity Falls. Maybe the bad idea had been freeing Bill from Grunkle Stan’s mind? The demon was clearly trying a new method of torture out. 

“So, Pine Tree, as you’re trying out dating… When will I get my shot?”

“I would _never_ date you.”

“You say that now. Did I tell you to stop singing?!” The pancakes seemed invested in the exchange between demon and human. They hurriedly resumed their song, which they seemed to be singing on loop. 

_Today is so wonderful, I feel like chuckling…_

Dipper stared curiously at the singing pancakes. He hoped the faces Bill had given them hadn’t been ripped from real people, though, as it was Bill, it wouldn’t surprise him. 

_I feel all fuzzy inside like a duckling; full of… tarantulas_

“What even is this song?” He couldn’t help the question that escaped his lips. 

“Do you like it? It’s one of my finer songs.”

“You wrote it? …Why am I surprised?” The singing pancakes had just reached the line ‘look at these people, puny and feeble.’ 

“Song writing is just one of my many talents.” He waggled his eyebrows and Dipper felt his face heat up as he realised what the demon was implying. He stood again. 

“Look, Bill. I don’t know what your plan is here but let’s skip to the endgame where you try to kill me and I defeat you.”

“Oh, Pine Tree. How can I make you see that I don’t _want_ to kill you anymore? Maybe some mild torture – the kind you’d enjoy, of course – but that’s it. Cross my heart.” 

“Like I’d ever believed that,” Dipper said and he walked out of the diner, letting the door slam shut behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two reasons why I didn’t write Dipper and Wendy’s date. Partly, it wasn’t really important to advance the plot, only how it made Dipper feel was. Mostly though, I couldn’t seem to get Wendy’s voice right haha.
> 
> The song Bill get’s his pancakes to sing is ‘It’s Gonna Get Weird’ which was cut from Weirdmageddon (that fact breaks my heart, it’s such a good song!)


	4. Chapter 4

Dipper and Mabel were lounging outside the Mystery Shack, enjoying the sun. It was a quiet day without many tourists so they’d taken advantage of that fact by whipping up some homemade lemonade and dragging both Grunkle’s outside for some family bonding. 

Mabel was busy playing with Waddles. Cross legged on the floor in a home knitted jumper and Waddles in her lap, Dipper could almost pretend that no time had passed and that it was still that first summer again. They had grown up, though, and were different people than back then and, no matter how much Dipper wished for simpler times, they would never return.

The object of his frustration was a certain good-looking demon that seemed to haunt Dipper’s dreams. Not only that, but the damn persistent demon had started cropping up at the most inconvenient times. Even Stan and Ford had accepted that Bill was just a part of their lives now. Dipper couldn’t understand why nobody apart from himself was suspicious of the demon's motives. He couldn’t be the only one who remembered what Bill had done. 

Stan had passed it off as ‘the guy was in my head for years and never did anything I wouldn’t have.’ He’d been very chill about the fact that he’d shared a mind with Bill Cipher his entire life. Dipper found it exasperating. 

He’d thought Ford, at least, would be on his side but even _he_ agreed that Bill was too obsessed with Dipper to try for world domination right now. 

Dipper felt like ripping his hair out.

As if he knew Dipper was thinking about him, Bill emerged from the forest, looking suave as ever. “IQ, I figured out that problem for you.” Ignoring Dipper completely, the demon waltzed over to Ford and pulled out a notebook the two had started to share. 

Dipper grumbled under his breath, his gaze never dropping from the black and yellow suited man as the pair launched into an in-depth conversation that quickly had Stan snoring. 

“Bro-bro, you’re falling waaaaay into his trap,” Mabel said, shifting closer to him. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“He’s ignoring you on purpose, dumbass. He _knows_ you’re watching and he’s loving it.”

“I’m not watching him,” Dipper snapped, not tearing his gaze away from Bill. 

“You’re only fooling yourself, bro.” Mabel turned her attention back to Waddles. 

Was she right? No, she couldn’t be, because if she was then that meant he actually _liked_ Bill and he definitely didn’t. Not at all. With a huff of annoyance, he stood up and stormed towards the forest. He didn’t turn to check but he could feel a pair of eyes burning into his back as he walked away. 

He walked aimlessly. He hadn't gotten very far before “Hey, Pine Tree! Wait up!” was called to to his retreating back. He almost stopped but somehow managed to force his feet to keep walking. He wouldn’t let Bill control him, damn it. 

It didn’t take long for Bill to catch up. 

“Were you feeling abandoned? Sorry, Dipping Sauce. There’s plenty of Bill to go around.” Dipper didn’t say anything. He just kept walking. “Well, now, _really_ , kid. You’re being childish. Come now – ”

“No!” Dipper finally snapped. He stopped walking and rounded on Bill. “Will you please just stop?! Enough is enough, Cipher. Leave me alone!” He was surprised by the amount of venom in his voice. He was even more surprised by brief flash of hurt that seemed to cross the demons face. 

“I guess even a demon’s gotta learn when to quit, huh, Dipper? See you around then.” Surprised by the use of his actual name (well, actual _nick_ name) Dipper opened his mouth. He wasn’t sure whether he was going to apologise, take back his demand to be left alone, or admit that the real reason he was so wound up was because he couldn’t get Bill of his Goddamn mind but, whichever way, he didn’t get a chance. Bill vanished. 

Dipper sighed, kicked a rock at his feet, and continued his aimless wandering through the forest. 

 

“BILL CIPHER! BILL, GOSH DAMN IT! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME!” 

“No need to shout, Shooting Star,” Bill said, appearing in front of a very angry Mabel Pines. He leaned causally on his cane and smiled at her. “If this is about Dipper –”

“Too right it’s about Dipper!”

“Look, I took the hint, I – ”

“What did you do to him?!” Mabel looked positively murderous. Even Bill was a little frightened. 

“What do you mean? I’ve done nothing.” 

“Of course you haven’t,” she snarled. “You just happen to be the last person who saw him, chasing him into a creepy forest!”

Bill’s frown deepened. Concern wasn’t an emotion he was used to feeling but he was pretty sure it was the right word for what he was feeling now. “What do you mean?”

“He hasn’t come home,” Mabel said, her voice softening a little as she read his expression. 

“But that was hours ago,” Bill said. Their exchange in the forest had been early afternoon. It was almost midnight now. 

“He won’t answer his phone either. It’s not like him!” Mabel was near hysterical. Bill almost felt sorry for her. 

“Don’t worry, Shooting Star,” he said. “I’ll find Pine Tree.”

Mabel sniffed and nodded. “Okay,” she said. There was a pause in which Bill waited as he could tell the girl was fighting a question at the edge of her tongue. “Bill? Do you really like Dipper?” 

“Of course.” 

“Okay,” she said again, her head jerking as if it were on a spring. The demon turned to leave when she spoke again, “But, Bill. If you ever hurt Dipper, I’ll kill you.”

Bill smiled softly but didn’t turn back to face her. “I’d expect no less.” He vanished into thin air then, leaving Mabel to return to the Mystery Shack and her worried family. 

 

Bill knew the forest and its occupants well. It was one thing to know the creatures of the forest and another entirely to understand them, however. Figuring out who took Dipper – because surely _someone_ did – was probably not going to be as easy as he first thought. Still, he wasn’t very well going to let _his_ Pine Tree be horribly murdered. 

So he called in some favours, grumbling all the while. He’d been _saving_ those favours. _Damn Pine Tree…_

The general word of the forest creatures was that, yes, Dipper Pines had been taken but, asides from that, everyone was far more afraid of whatever took him than they were of Bill apparently. Big mistake, he thought, but didn’t dwell on it. He could concern himself with his reputation later, when Dipper was safe. 

Bill scrolled through his extensive internal knowledge of the forest and came to one single conclusion as a match. 

He wasn’t sure why it had ended up in Gravity Falls forest, especially as it was generally a sea dwelling creature, but Bill suspected it had been drawn to the town’s weirdness as had many of its other creatures. 

The Nuckelavee.

As monsters went, it was one of Bill’s favourite. Part rotten horse, part nightmare-inducing humanoid, with a breath that could cause famine and epidemics. You couldn’t really get much better. Why it would have taken Dipper, though, he wasn’t sure. Generally it didn’t bother the humans. Which likely meant that it had taken Dipper to get at Bill. 

That pissed Bill off. 

The Nuckelavee was a creature experienced in keeping itself hidden. Bill knew it had a nest in Gravity Falls lake, but that it also spent a lot of time in the forest and, as it was the forest where Dipper had last been seen, that seemed the best bet for finding him. 

Bill sighed as he searched. Being an almighty demon, this should have been easier really. What a waste of time, having to search like a human but, for some reason, he couldn’t sense Dipper. He hoped that didn’t mean he was dead. That would be pretty inconvenient. 

The night was passing quickly. Bill was glad his human body didn’t feel cold as he watched his breath puff out before him in visible wisps. Being stuck in Stanley Pines for so long had been a living hell. He’d felt everything humans did, including fondness. It was why he was searching for Dipper Pines right now. It was why he would _always_ search for Dipper Pines, even if he had to follow him into the afterlife. It didn't help that they were now eternally bonded by blood. He hadn't bothered to tell Dipper the part about how he now held power over Bill. Pine Tree didn't need to know that little detail... Bill couldn't very well let the hot headed teen order him back to the nightmare realm for all eternity. 

He’d known he liked the kid in a ‘it’ll be a shame to kill you’ kinda way the first time he’d experienced that summer. Things had been different the second time around. He’d spent more time with the kid and he’d been stuck in a human mind that experienced feelings ( _icky!_ ) and, before he knew it, mild curiosity was turning into something else. Dipper was resourceful and brave and incredibly stupid (but, he supposed, pretty smart for a human) and, as that summer had passed and then the next and the next, he’d grown into a not entirely unattractive fleshbag. Bill had always known he wanted to break free from Stan but it didn’t take him long to realise that his reasons for freedom had changed. Dipper would never give him a chance in that decrepit form. (Besides, didn’t humans have something against incest? Bill thought it was quite funny.) His only option had been to find freedom and take on a human form for himself. He'd had a lot of fun designing it. 

Eventually started to feel a familiar presence. It was weak, but it was there. His Pine Tree was alive, and he was _close._

He was tied to a tree in a small clearing Bill hadn’t known existed. His head hung against his chest which gently rose and fell in a steady rhythm. Bill felt a flash of fury as he spotted the blood and bruised flesh decorating him like a painted canvas. The murderous rage that filled him was both familiar and completely new. It was weird to be angry over someone other than himself being hurt. Bill didn’t dwell on it. 

Moving over to Dipper, he crouched in front of the boy and used his fingers to gently lift his chin. 

“Pine Tree?” Dipper moaned. “I’m going to untie you, okay?” As soon as the rope loosened, Dipper slumped. Bill moved back over to him and helped prop him up, selfishly enjoying the fact that the brunet didn’t seem with it enough to push him away quite yet. Taking advantage of that fact, he brushed a loose strand of hair from his face and then wiped at the blood that smeared his lips. He was tempted to use his tongue, but he figured that would be taking things a little too far. Would probably bring some life back into Dipper, though… 

“So. You came.” Bill stood up slowly, turning to face the speaker as if he had all the time in the world. He adjusted his bow tie before replying. 

“You picked the wrong demon to play games with.”

“I was hoping I’d heard wrong,” the Nuckelavee said in its nightmare-inducing voice. “It saddens me that the rumours are true. You have grown weak, Bill Cipher.” 

“I dare you to say that again.” How dare this inferior creature call him weak! Bill’s eyes flashed blood red. 

“You’ve even taken a human form. Pathetic.” 

“Oh please. You wish you looked as good as me.” Bill had grown quite fond of his human form in all honestly. It annoyed him to have it insulted, especially when he’d spent years designing it to be visibly perfect down to every ab and tattoo. 

“You’re a disappointment, Cipher. Your time has passed. First, I shall kill your human and then I shall kill you.” 

Bill glanced at Dipper. He was stirring now, apparently coming to his senses. Better late than never. Bill didn’t want him to miss his heroic act. Saving Dipper’s life was bound to put him in the good books; if that didn’t work, Bill didn’t know what would. 

“It amuses me that you think you stand a chance,” Bill said, his red eyes glistening. Sure, the Nuckelavee wasn’t a weak foe but the fact that it honestly thought it stood a chance at killing him, the great one eyed Demon (usually), was just laughable. 

Usually, he might have let the Nuckelavee believe, just for a minute, that the odds were in its favour. It might be funny to watch the hope vanish from its eyes when Bill stole that hope. However, Dipper was hurt. He was bleeding and bruised and Bill was too angry to find enjoyment in prolonging the inevitable. 

“ _Tsaeb eid_ ,” Bill said and poured all his power into tearing the Nuckelavee up from the inside out. By the time he was finished, only a few scraps of flesh were left, floating in the wind like scraps of paper. 

Bill brushed a scrap of flesh off his shoulder and then turned to see Dipper staring at him with wide eyes. 

“You killed it…”

“Ah, Pine Tree –” Damn, he should have considered that kids damn morality. For once, Bill was stumped as what to say. Dipper watched him silently. The human raised a hand and touched his bruised cheek, wincing slightly. 

“It was going to kill me,” he said finally, almost in disbelief. 

“It was,” Bill said, taking a small step closer. He worried Dipper would flinch away but he didn’t. Taking that as a good sign, he crouched down before him so that they were at eye level. “I did what I had to.” 

“You saved my life.” Dipper honestly sounded confused. It would be cute if it wasn’t so hurtful. Hadn’t Bill made it abundantly clear that he would never hurt Dipper again? 

“Pine Tree – ” Before Bill could say whatever his brain had been trying to string together, Dipper launched at him, throwing his arms around his shoulders. Bill stiffened, for a moment convinced that the boy had a hidden weapon that was about to be driven into his neck (would he try and fight back? Probably not, not against Dipper…). It took him a long moment to realise that Dipper was sobbing, holding tightly to his jacket as if anchoring Bill to him. This wasn’t an attack, it was a hug. 

“I thought I was going to die,” Dipper was saying, his warm breath tickling Bill’s neck, driving him wild. Bill patted his back a little awkwardly. He was not used to offering comfort, though he had to admit, holding Dipper so intimately felt perfectly natural, like that was how they were meant to have been all along. “Thank you.”

“I would never let anything get away with hurting you, Pine Tree. Not even me.”

 

Bill was respectful, staying away, giving Dipper time to heal and be with his family. Unbeknownst to Dipper, he was also hoping his time away would drive the boy wild with desperation and, when he returned, he would stop playing his silly games and just admit that they had insane chemistry and were perfect together. 

Bill seemed to know what he was doing, because Dipper found his mind wandering to the handsome demon whenever it wasn’t occupied by other thoughts. Sometimes even when it was. 

Sure, he was a little horrified that Bill had killed the Nuckelavee but if he hadn’t there was no telling who it might have hurt next. Dipper had been lucky. That creature had meant to kill him and, if not for Bill, he _would_ be dead. He had the sore bones to prove it. 

Dipper replayed Bill’s words to himself over and over again.

_“I would never let anything get away with hurting you, Pine Tree. Not even me.”_

Could the demon really be telling the truth? Mabel seemed to think so. 

“Dipper,” she said, “I looked into his eyes when I told him you were missing. Sure, they’re a bit cray-cray and spooky, but behind the yellow was fear. He likes you, bro-bro. And, I honestly think he’s changed.”

“But can he _really_ change?”

“I think spending so much time in Grunkle Stan taught him a new way,” Mabel said. “He’s leaned humanity.” Mabel could be quite wise in a way Dipper was not, sometimes. He went to bed that night thinking over what she’d said. It kept him awake, staring at the ceiling, long past when Mabel’s breathing eased out into the steady rhythm of sleep. 

Finally, admitting defeat, he stood up and walked over to the attic window, staring out into the darkness. 

He’d always been scared to start relationships. He'd told himself it was Wendy's rejection, but he knew he as kidding himself. During high school there had been other girls he’d been attracted to but they’d never gone anywhere serious. He'd had two girlfriends in his life and each of them had only lasted weeks. He’d always been too nervous and awkward. He was Mabel Pines nerdy brother, obsessed with the paranormal and playing D,D&D with his fellow nerds. He got good grades and could have gone to Harvard on a scholarship if he hadn’t of chosen to run back to Gravity Falls. He’d thought he’d done that because, once again, he’d been too afraid of real life but what if there had been a different reason. 

Could his unhealthy obsession with Bill Cipher have been more than he realised all these years? It seemed crazy and completely unhealthy but Dipper took after his Grunkle’s and thrived from the idea of danger. He was drawn to the unknown. He relished in the thrill of the paranormal. 

Bill Cipher was all of those things. 

Maybe everything had always been leading him here. To Bill. To danger, magic, exhilaration and the unknown. 

It wasn’t even a case of maybe he’d never managed to have a real relationship because he’d been chasing after the wrong gender. If anything, it was because he’d been chasing after humans. It was a weird thing to consider but, with how drawn he was to their world, maybe he would only ever find happiness with a magical being. 

Before Dipper realised it, his legs were leading him outside into the cool, early morning air. He shivered, scanning the area as if he knew what he sought was out there somewhere, if only he could locate it. 

Locate it he did. 

Bill was leaning against the nearest tree, casual as you like. 

“Hey, Pine Tree? I have a request,” he said as Dipper approached. “Kiss me.” Dipper stopped walking, his mind freezing.

“What? Absolutely not!” he stuttered, feeling his cheeks warm up, the request so unexpected that his brain didn’t even give him a chance to consider it. He didn’t know what his own plan had been, but he certainly hadn’t expected to be propositioned the moment he laid eyes on Bill. 

Loosing his nerve, Dipper returned to the Mystery Shack, where he paced the living room, mumbling to himself, unable to get Bill’s disappointed face from his mind. An hour passed, maybe two, and outside the first of the early morning light started to warm the earth. 

Dipper stopped pacing. What was he doing? Why did he always do this? What was he so scared of? He thought about Mabel and how, despite having had her heart broken so many times, she continued to put it out there, honest and open. She’d told him once that you would never find happiness if you were too scared of getting your heart broken to risk it. Perhaps she was right. For someone who loved adventure, he could sure be a coward sometimes. 

Squaring his shoulders and taking a deep breath, Dipper went back outside. The chances that Bill was still out there were slim-to-none but he couldn’t keep running away from the truth forever, unless he wanted to end up alone much like Stan. 

Maybe Bill would break his heart, maybe even literally, but Dipper had to stop being too afraid to find out.

Bill was still at the same tree. He’d climbed it and was lounging on a thick branch that was almost double Dipper’s height. 

“Thought you'd be back.”

“What are you doing here?” he found himself asking, craning his neck to see the demon. 

“Just hanging around.” Bill smirked and swung his body down, keeping his legs hooked over the branch. Dipper rolled his eyes, desperately trying to ignore the fact that Bill’s upside down lips were level with his own. Instead he moved to the trunk and climbed the tree. Bill was righting himself as Dipper reached the branch and sat down next to the demon, letting his legs hang down in front of him. They sat in awkward silence for a moment. 

“Aren’t you cold?”

“Pine Tree,” Bill scoffed, “I’m a demon. I don’t _get_ cold.”

“Oh. Well I do. Budge up.” Feeling brave, Dipper shuffled closer to the demon. He really was warm, his heat radiating from him, warming Dipper’s bones. The human didn’t fail to notice the small smile that flickered across the demon’s face as their arms brushed. 

The silence returned, less awkward this time. 

“What do I have to do to prove myself, Pine Tree?” Bill broke the silence as the rising sun came into view, turning the sky a spectacular orange. 

“What do you mean?”

“I’m a demon so I’ll never be perfect, but I’m trying. Why don’t you want me?”

“Did you ever think that maybe I’m just not attracted to you?”

“Come on. The only person you’re fooling is yourself, Pine Tree.” That was true. Dipper knew that now. Perhaps he’d known it all along. 

“I shouldn’t want you..” he admitted quietly, turning to look at Bill. “You’re a demon who tried to kill me.”

“What can I say,” Bill shrugged, “I thrive from chaos.”

“I think I do too,” Dipper confessed. 

“If it makes you feel better, I don’t want to kill you any more, Pine Tree,” Bill said. 

“I know.” Dipper’s voice was low, his head moving closer to Bill’s until their noses could brush. “But if you ever change your mind I won’t hesitate to take you out.”

“I wouldn’t want you if you did,” Bill said, running the tip of his nose down Dipper’s until it slot into place next to his. 

“Good,” Dipper breathed. Their lips were so close. All Dipper had to do was tilt his head a fraction and they would be touching… Bill beat him to it, touching their lips together. Dipper’s lips tingled like they were being shocked. Their warm breathes mingled together and Dipper almost fell from the tree when Bill’s tongue brushed against his bottom lip playfully. The demon put a hand to his lower back, steadying him without breaking the kiss. The kiss that was, undoubtedly, the best of Dipper’s life. 

“Bill and Dipper sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!” They sprung apart as Mabel’s voice disturbed the morning’s silence. The brunette was leaning out of the window, hair mussed from sleep, a huge grin across her face. 

“Go back to bed Mabel!” Dipper yelled back, embarrassed. He didn’t spring away from Bill, though. In fact, he found the demon’s hand and threaded their fingers together, already struggling to contain his happy smile. 

“Want me to turn her into a rat?” Bill asked. 

“No. God no!”

“Oi! Get a room you two!” Suddenly Grunkle Stan was joining in, standing on the porch, a mug of steaming coffee in his hands. 

“…You know what? Yeah… maybe,” Dipper amended. Before Bill could take him seriously, Dipper brought their lips together again into the second best kiss of his life. He couldn’t believe he’d almost denied himself this pleasure. He had to learn to stop being afraid to take chances. 

Sure, there was a good chance Bill would revert back to his old ways and, if that time came, Dipper and his family would deal with it but that didn’t mean he couldn’t steal as many amazing kisses from the demon before that happened. 

And, believe me, there would be lots of kissing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we have it. Thanks for reading <3 
> 
> I’m thinking I might write a fluffy one shot where Dipper discovers the power he holds over Bill, but we’ll see


End file.
